Background
Dr. Xiao holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Biomechanics. He is a registered professional engineer, an Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR), and a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). His primary areas of consulting expertise include injury consistency biomechanics, accident reconstruction, and playground safety.
Dr. Xiao performs biomechanical analyses on cases involving vehicle accidents, pedestrian/bicycle-vehicle accidents, seatbelt or helmet usage, child seat, driver determination, driver perception/reaction behavior, falling objects, slips/trips/falls, playground or amusement rides, water parks, and other injury accident/incidents. He has reconstructed accidents involving low-speed collisions, high-speed (including fatality) collisions, pedestrian/bicycle-vehicle accidents, vehicle rollovers, and other types of accidents. He also identifies hazards on public playground equipment, ranks the hazards according to injury potential, and applies the knowledge to remove the hazards.
Prior to joining Rimkus, Dr. Xiao worked at a medical school and a hospital. While working at Yale University Medical School, he led a research project funded by the Center for Disease Control to evaluate occupant spinal injury potential in rear-end collisions. He also collaborated with neurosurgeons to determine the mechanical strength of spinal tissue to choose the proper surgical instrumentation. He was part of the rehabilitation program for spinal cord injury patients while working at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, which is affiliated with Northwestern University.
Dr. Xiao has published peer-reviewed journal papers and presented at numerous national/international science conferences. He has testified in both depositions and at trials in federal court, as well as in state courts in Florida, Colorado, Illinois, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Education and Certifications
• Biomechanics, Ph.D.: University of Delaware (2009)
• Mechanical Engineering, B.S.: Tsinghua University in Beijing, China (2004)
• Licensed Professional Engineer: Colorado and Florida
• Certified Crash Data Retrieval Technician (Level 2): Bosch
• Certified Playground Safety Inspector: National Recreation and Park Association
• Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR)
• American Society of Biomechanics: Member
• Society of Automotive Engineers: Member
• National Society of Professional Engineers: Member
• National Academy of Forensic Engineers: Board-Certified Senior Member
• Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Fellowship (2010)
• Injury Biomechanics Symposium Travel Award (2009)
• University Graduate Fellowship (2007)